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Why Conversation Skills training and speaking practice are important:

  Students, and many Japanese, seem at a loss about how to use English.  This is not so different than being given the equipment to play any game or sport--just having shoes and a soccer ball, or learning the soccer vocabulary and how to talk about soccer, does not make you a good soccer player.  You still need to practice really playing soccer.  Studying English and speaking English are no different.

  Speaking English well takes practice.  Just studying English is not enough to make most students become good speakers of English.  Again, like sports, they need experience playing the game.  We need to teach our students how to have a conversation.  

  The ConFluency Card Game and materials, and the Q-Card Activity on this site are designed to make this easy and effective for the teacher, and fun, meaningful and worthwhile for the students.

The Basic Conversation Skills

Listen & Repeat (L & R)-  repeat word-for-word the previously spoken sentence, question or comment.
Say the Same Sentence- repeat word-for-word a (the) previously spoken sentence.
Repeat the Same Question- repeat word-for-word a (the) previously spoken question.
Say Another Sentence- change one or more words in a (the) previously spoken sentence (+ don’t is OK, too) ((ex. I have a fish. -> I have a brother.))
Ask Another Question- change one or more words in a (the) spoken question (ex. Do you have a sister? -> Do you have a brother?) 

A + 1 Answer-  Use a 2-part answer (ex. Do you have a blue pen?   -->No, I don’t.  I have a red pen.)  

Follow-up Question or Q + 1 Question- After another student’s answer, ask a related question (ex. Q-Do you have a sister?  A-Yes, I do.  Q + 1- What is your sister’s name?)
Pardon?- Asking for the previously spoken English be repeated again.  And, the English being repeated again.